Column #71

Resolutions are firm decisions to start or stop doing something. Traditionally most are made as the new year dawns and, according to Nielsen survey, the most popular are:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The top choices involve fitness, health, and weight. Nielson states that 43% of Americans pick these goals with plans to lose weight by making healthier food choices. Obviously Americans want to avoid being caught up in America’s healthcare system which currently swallows 18% of the GNP with 85% of that cost going to treat chronic disease.

All chronic diseases, obesity being one, are tied to diet and inactivity. An inactive body degenerates into a blob. But worse, an improperly nourished body will not function right even with exercise. Food is the most critical component for fitness and health.

The human body is a combination of chemicals and compounds that from the beginning of time came from green leafy vegetables, grass-fed meats, and wild-caught seafood. But about 10,000 years ago the invention of agriculture broadened the limited food choices to include many other foods. And that is the problem. Many foods became plentiful that did not contain the nutrients of green leaves.

Because the farming of grains, seeds, nuts, and fruit has created an abundance of these foods, today’s typical diet is high-glycemic, nutrient-lite, and low in Omega-3 fatty acids. Our nation’s food system is based on grains not greens. Even our livestock are fed grains, thus skewing their essential fatty acid (EFA) profiles. The result is that most Americans today are suffering from body failures (chronic diseases) caused by malnutrition.

There is no doubt that millions of Americans will resolve to live healthier lifestyles this coming New Year. But few are prepared to make the transition because they know virtually nothing about nutritional science. What they know is conventional wisdom which is mostly based on myths, not science. That advice includes low fat, whole grains, fruit, little meat, even sugars and oils. So like a herd of sheep, consumers go out blindly seeking easy solutions to a very vexing problem. Money-hungry marketers court these consumers with nutritional scams touting organic, natural, paleo, vegetarian, low fat, and salt-free. These terms are scams because none of them addresses food chemistry or the causes of chronic disease.

To actually gain fitness, health, and a proper weight you need to understand the basics of food chemistry. Do you know why foods must be low glycemic? Why must they be nutrient dense and diverse like kale, grass-fed and Omega-3 meats, and wild-caught seafood? Why is the EFA ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 so critical for the brain, nerves, and immunity? Where do you find reliable data on food chemistry?

The answers to these questions will help you achieve your healthy goals and keep you from being preyed upon by phony diet marketers of all stripes.

To your health.

Ted Slanker

Ted Slanker has been reporting on the fundamentals of nutritional research in publications, television and radio appearances, and at conferences since 1999. He condenses complex studies into the basics required for health and well-being. His eBook, The Real Diet of Man, is available online.

Don’t miss these links for additional reading:

6 Ways to Create (and Keep) New Year’s Resolutions in 2017 By Paula Durlofsky, PhD ~ 2 min read

This Year’s Top New Year’s Resolution?

Food Analysis Tables

Solution to Obesity: Let’s Eat

Are Your Habits Ingrained?

Setting and Keeping Resolutions

How Folks Making New Resolutions Get Scammed

Grass-Fed Meat Explained